Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Session 1.02 Architecture, Visual Arts and Crafts
Presentation #1 Title
Early Years of Appalachian Reform: The Conference of Southern Mountain Workers, Allen Eaton, & the Origins of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The three papers in this session focus on the history of reform and craft development in early 20th century Appalachia. Penny Messinger’s paper delineates the structure and purpose of the early Conference of Southern Mountain Workers, with particular emphasis on conference themes as reflected in keynote addresses and roundtable discussions. Joy Gritton’s paper examines the pivotal influence exerted by Allen Eaton, best known in Appalachia for his seminal work, Handicrafts of the Southern Appalachians. Eaton was a liaison between the membership of the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers and the Russell Sage Foundation (which sponsored his work), and was instrumental in the formation of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild (SHHG). Philis Alvic’s paper traces the creation of the SHHG from its roots in the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers, with particular emphasis on the roundtable discussions of mountain handicrafts held at the yearly conference during the 1920s. She discusses some of the individual members of the SHHG as well as the organization’s significance as a cooperative organization of small handicraft producers.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Penny Messinger is Associate Professor of History at Daemen College, where she teaches American history, women’s history, and women’s studies. Her current research focuses on the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers and on the impact of missionaries in Appalachia.
Presentation #2 Title
“Roundtables, Keynotes, and Membership in the Early Years of the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers”
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Joy Gritton is Associate Professor of Art History at Morehead State University, where she teaches art history and coordinates the MSU Interdisciplinary Appalachian Studies Program and the Eastern Kentucky Arts Project. She is currently completing a book on Allen Eaton.
Presentation #3 Title
“'Art is all right for the rich or for the idle, but what have we workers to do with it?': Allen Eaton and the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers”
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Philis Alvic is an artist and writer. She is the author of Weavers of the Southern Highlands (University Press of Kentucky, 2003) and over 100 articles in weaving, craft, and art magazines. She edited Crafts of Armenia (IESC/Armenia, 2003) as part of her international work as a crafts development consultant.
Presentation #4 Title
“Forming of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild”
Early Years of Appalachian Reform: The Conference of Southern Mountain Workers, Allen Eaton, & the Origins of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild
Drinko 138
The three papers in this session focus on the history of reform and craft development in early 20th century Appalachia. Penny Messinger’s paper delineates the structure and purpose of the early Conference of Southern Mountain Workers, with particular emphasis on conference themes as reflected in keynote addresses and roundtable discussions. Joy Gritton’s paper examines the pivotal influence exerted by Allen Eaton, best known in Appalachia for his seminal work, Handicrafts of the Southern Appalachians. Eaton was a liaison between the membership of the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers and the Russell Sage Foundation (which sponsored his work), and was instrumental in the formation of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild (SHHG). Philis Alvic’s paper traces the creation of the SHHG from its roots in the Conference of Southern Mountain Workers, with particular emphasis on the roundtable discussions of mountain handicrafts held at the yearly conference during the 1920s. She discusses some of the individual members of the SHHG as well as the organization’s significance as a cooperative organization of small handicraft producers.
